A Tea House That Began in Petaling Street

The story of Bunn Choon began with its first-generation founder, Wong Kee Swee.

After arriving in Malaya from Xinhui, Guangdong, China, he initially worked at a local tea house. When the original owner later decided to leave Malaya, the tea house was handed over to him.

And so, in 1893, Bunn Choon Tea House was officially established.

At that time, Bunn Choon was not yet the “egg tart shop” that many people first think of today.

It was a traditional tea house that truly belonged to old Kuala Lumpur. Neighbourhood residents came for tea, buns and dim sum; the kitchen team spent each day preparing dough and handmade pastries, while family members worked together to manage the business.

Generation after generation, Bunn Choon continued to be passed down within the family.

The taste of its food gradually became more than a family tradition. It became a shared memory between a family and a city.

To learn more about Bunn Choon's heritage spanning more than a century, continue reading the Bunn Choon Heritage Story .

Even a Century-Old Brand Sometimes Has to Stop

A business that has operated for more than a century does not necessarily have an easy journey.

As times and business conditions changed, rental pressure increased, and different family members pursued their own paths, the original Bunn Choon tea house eventually reached a stage where its operations had to come to an end.

For fourth-generation family member Wong Kok Tong, who was already helping in the shop at the time, it was more than simply the closing of a business.

It meant losing a familiar environment from his childhood, generations of family memories, and a signboard that had been part of Kuala Lumpur for many years, at least temporarily.

But while a shop may close, its craft and memories do not disappear with it.

Without a Big Shop, the Journey Restarted From a Small Stall

After the old tea house ceased operations, many long-time customers who remembered Bunn Choon continued to ask:

“Are you still making the pastries?”

It was because customers still remembered those familiar flavours that Bunn Choon's story did not end in the past.

With limited capital at the time, Wong Kok Tong decided to restart on a smaller scale.

Pastries were made at home, sold at different stalls, and supplied wholesale to other businesses.

From restarting outside the old shop, to selling at different markets, and eventually establishing a presence at Imbi Market.

There was no luxurious storefront, and no large marketing campaign.

What kept the business going were trays of handmade pastries, and customers who tasted them and continued coming back for the flavours they remembered.

One Egg Tart Helped a New Generation Rediscover a Century-Old Brand

During Bunn Choon's journey of rebuilding, egg tarts gradually became an important gateway through which a new generation discovered the brand.

For customers who remember the old tea house, “Bunn Choon” represents tea, dim sum, and memories of neighbourhood residents gathering together.

For a younger generation, their first encounter may simply be with a classic Bunn Choon egg tart , before gradually discovering:

Behind that egg tart is a brand story that has already travelled through more than 130 years.

In 2015, Returning to Where the Story Began

After years of operating through stalls and markets, Wong Kok Tong made an important decision in 2015:

Return to Petaling Street.

The space where Bunn Choon restarted was less than 200 square feet.

But what mattered was never how large the shop was.

What mattered was that the name “Bunn Choon” had returned to the place it knew best.

Later, when another opportunity arose, Bunn Choon moved into the two-storey premises beside Kwai Chai Hong where it operates today.

The old signboard was hung once again.

From a simple takeaway operation, Bunn Choon once again became a place where people could sit down for tea, enjoy dim sum and have an egg tart.

It was as though, after travelling a long way, the story had finally returned to where it began.

Visit Bunn Choon Today, and You Are Tasting More Than an Egg Tart

Today, many customers first discover Bunn Choon through its classic egg tarts.

But beyond egg tarts, Bunn Choon continues to offer traditional pastries, dim sum, radish cake, congee, noodles and rice dishes, desserts and Chinese tea.

If you are visiting Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur , consider stopping by Bunn Choon after exploring the surrounding heritage streets and sitting down for a cup of tea.

Order some dim sum, and enjoy a freshly baked egg tart.

Because what you are tasting is more than just food.

It is also a Kuala Lumpur story that began in 1893 and continues to be written today.